Improvement in hub-attaching devices



0. G. EGERTON. Hub Attaching Device.

Y No. 220,968. Paten ted Oct.,28,1879.

04mm] m UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE.

O. CALVERT EGERTON, OF BALTIMORE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TOWILLIAM OANBY, OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, AND BENJAMIN G. HARRIS, OFBALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT l N HUB-ATTAQHING DEVICES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,968, dated October28, 1879; application filed August 20, 1879.

To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, G. CALVERT EGERTON, of Baltimore, in the county ofBaltimore and Sate of Maryland, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Attaching Hubs to Axles of Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in means for attachingvehicle-wheels to axles, as will be described, and then designated inthe claims.

Figure 1 is a view embodying my improvement, in which the hub is insection and is secured to the axle. Fig: 2 is a view of the sameadjusted to permit the hub to be detached. Fig. 8 is a view of an axleseparate provided with my improvement. Fig. 4 is a view of thespring-hook.

My improvement is adapted for all ordinary wheeled vehicles, and may beused with good advantage on childrens carriages.

In the drawings, the letter A designates the axle; B, the hub of theWheel, which, for facility of illustration, is shownwithout spokes.

The improvement in means for attaching.

the hub consists, first, in boring out the inner end of the wood part ofthe hub, so as to form a recess, 0, and in providing said inner end withan iron band, 1), having an inward flange, 0. By this arrangement achamber is formed at this end of the hub; but it will be seen that bythe inward flange e of the iron band standing off from the end of thehub a chamber will be formed, whether the hub be bored out or not. I

The iron band may be provided on its inner edge with three or moreprojecting lips, (I, (see Fig. 1,) through each of which a bolt passesinto the hub. These bolts serve to hold the band to its position.

The letter f desi gnates steel springs attached to the axle, havingtheir free ends projecting just over the end of the axle-arm where itjoins the axle, and each spring is provided at its free end'with a hookor catch, f, which is adapted to enter the chamber in the hub and engagewith the inward flange, e, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that whenso engaged the hooks serve to hold the hub securely to its position onthe arm of the axle.

The drawings shows two springs and hooks to each axle-arm; but it isobvious that four may be used, if desired. Their perfect adap tation toretain the wheel is such that if the axle-arm were to break off at theshoulder they would hold on to the wheel and prevent the body of thevehicle from falling.

It will be noticed that in Fig. 1 the hooks are shown with an under-cut,giving to them a form resembling somewhat the barb of an or dinaryfishhook, and in the same figure the inward flange is provided on itsinterior side with an annular groove,into which fits the barb of thehook. advantage, as it serves to prevent the acci dental disengagementof the hooks; but it may be dispensed with, if desired.

The letter h designates a band or sleeve .adapted to slideover thesprings f, and, by

compressing, release them from the inward flange, as seen in Fig. 2,thus facilitating the detachment of the wheel. means may be employed toactuate the sleeve and retain it in position.

For this purpose a racked bar, t', is shown attached to the sleeve, anda toothed segment having a lever, a, is pivoted or secured to the axlein such manner as to engage with the rack, so that by tnrnin g the levertoward the hub the sleeve will be withdrawn from the springs, as seen inFig. 1, and by turning the lever from the. hub the sleeve will be forcedover the springs and compress them, as seen in Fig. 2. Other devices,however, may be arranged to move the sleeve back and forth, and 1 do notlimit myself to this particular construction.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, the ironband D on the hub has'its'rearportion, which embraces the inward flange, beveled on the outer edge andtapering or countersunk on the inner edge, and thus presents on the rearan annular face that is angular in cross-section, and which extends overthe shoulder of the axle. This peculiarity is specially adapted tofacilitate the entrance of the spring hooks to the'chamber,

This peculiarity is deemed an If desired, suitable and when the hooksare engaged therein to fit closely around them, and thereby serves toprotect the box from the inclemeney of the weather and also to excludesand.

The outer end of thc'hnb is closed by a suitable cap, which serves toexclude sand and water, and to retain the oil or grease used forlubrication.

Haviu g described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by UnitedStates Letters Patcut- 1. In combination, a vehicle-axle having springsf, each of which is provided at its free end with a hook or catch, f,and a hub provided at its inner end with an iron band havin g an inwardflange and beveled on the outer edge, which bevel with a countersunkinner edge forms on the inner end an annular face that is right-angledin cross-section longitudinally with the hub, as set forth.

2. In combination, a hub provided on its inner end with an inwardflange, forming a chamber, and having an annular groove on the interiorside of the flange, and springs attached to the axle, each provided atits end with a hook having an under-cut, as set forth.

3. In combination with a vehicle-axle havin g spring-hooks adapted toengage with the wheel, a band or sleeve, h, around the axle, adapted toslide over the springs, as set forth.

4. In combination, a vehicle-axle having attached thereto springs, eachof whieh-isprovided with a hook or catch adapted to engage with aninward flange on the inner end of a hub, and a band or a sleeve on theaxle, adaptedto slide over the springs, and means, substantially asdescribed, to actuate the sleeve, as set forth.

0. CALVERT EGERTON.

Witnesses:

CHAS. B. MANN, JNo. T. MADDOX.

